Intestinal permeability in children with Crohn's disease and coeliac disease.
Mannitol and lactulose were used as probe molecules to measure intestinal permeability in children with active small-bowel Crohn's disease and with untreated coeliac disease. Mannitol and lactulose were administered by mouth in a moderately hypertonic solution (580 mmol (mosmol)/l), and results were expressed as the ratio of the molecules excreted in urine over five hours. Patients with Crohn's disease had a sixfold increase in permeability (due to increased lactulose permeability) and those with coeliac disease a fivefold increase (due to decreased mannitol permeability). From these results the test offers potential as a noninvasive investigation in children with small-bowel disease.
D000293:Adolescent; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000378:metabolism*; D007792:Lactulose / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008353:Mannitol / Q000378:metabolism
D008353:Mannitol; D007792:Lactulose